Portable power paddle wheel unit for row type boats



' Jne 28, 1955 L.. 'rHoARNBuRG 2,711,708

PORTABLE POWER PADD WHEEL UNIT Fox Eow TYPE BoATs EueaAprn 2s, 1952United States Patent() PORTABLE POWER PADDLE WHEEL UNIT FOR ROW TYPEBOATS l The present invention appertains to improvements in power meansfor boats and more particularly to an outboard type motor unit.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a portablepower driven paddle wheel unit for row type boats which can be easilydisposed in place and controlled readily by the boat user.

Another important object of the invention is to provide such a unitinvolving bicycle type handle bars for more readily controlling thesteering of the boat.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a unit of thecharacter stated wherein the parts are of simple construction andcapable of being replaced in the event defects occur, without difficultyand much expense.

A further object of the invention is to provide a paddle wheelpropulsion unit for boats that has no deeper dip in the water than thedraft of the boat that it operates.

A further object of the invention is to provide a paddle wheel unit thatis motor driven and which will walk itself over snags, stones and otherobjects.

These and various other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the unit, shown attached to therear of a row type boat, the boat being shown fragmentarily and insection.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the structure shown in Figure1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detailed sectional View taken substantially online 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the steering means.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the structureshown in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals designate like parts, itcan be seen that reference character A denotes a conventional row boator outboard motor type boat having a vertical rear wall B.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a framegenerally referred to by numeral 5, this frame including a top portion6, a depending rear portion 7 and a bottom portion 8. Upon the bottomportion 8 is a base 9 upon which an internal combustion engine 10 ismounted, this engine having a drive shaft 11 on which is a pulley 12.This pulley may be a multiple step pulley.

A strut 13 connects the upper portion 6 of the frame with the rearportion 7 and bridging the rear portion 7 and the strut 13 is a socket14.

A tube 15 extends vertically between the forward portion of the upperand lower portions 6, 8 of the frame and through this is disposed ashaft 16. The shaft 16 extends through the forward portion of the framepart 8 and also through the forward portion of the frame portion 6, thelower portion having a nut 17 to bear against the lower portion of theframe portion 8, while the upper portion of theV shaft 16 has a nut 17afor ice clamping a riser 6a on the forward portion of the frame portion6 against the upper end of the tube 15.

Numeral 18 denotes `a handle bar type or steering control, which isswingably connected on a vertical plane, as at 19 to arms 20 and thesearms 20 are positively connected to the riser 6a and to the end thatwhen the handle bar 18 is swung to the left or to the right, the entireframe 5 will be moved accordingly. This is accomplished by a leg 18adepending through the swingable barrel 19, which is engageable with aquadrant gear t 19a secured to the tube 15, as shown in Figure 5. The

A pair of arcuate arms 26 project rearwardly from` the plate 23 and haveopenings for receiving a wing nut or the like to engage into the tube 15to hold the unit at any desired elevation depending upon what depth ofdip is desired of the impeller or paddle wheel which can now be referredto by numeral 27.

Numeral 28 denotes a fork having a shank 29 fitted into the socket 14and held in Vplace by set screws or the like 30. The rear portions ofthe arms of this fork 28 are curved downwardly and rearwardly as denotedby numeral 31 and the rear ends of these arms 31 are provided withbearings 32 for receiving the end portions of the shaft 33.

A barrel 34 is located on the shaft 33 between the arms 31 and on thisis the paddle wheel 27, which is made up of a disk structure 35, theperipheral portion of which is provided with a plurality of paddles 36.It is preferable that the disk have a rim of channeled constructionssuch as is denoted by numeral 3'7 and to this are welded a plurality ofW-shaped brackets 33 to which the said paddles 36 are secured.

In cooperation with one arm 31 of the yoke 2S is a bracket 39 forsupporting a shaft 40 on which is a multiple stepped pulley 41. A belt42 is trained from this pulley 41 to the pulley 12 on the motor driveshaft 11. The inner end of the shaft 40 is provided with a smallsprocket over which a chain 43 is disposed and this chain is trainedover a larger sprocket wheel 44 on the tube 34, the latter being locatedon the shaft 33.

It can now be seen, that with the clamp 24 securing the unit in place onthe stern wall B of the boat A, the propulsion unit will be in positionfor use and by adjusting the frame 5 and the tube 15 with respect to thearms 26, the proper depth of dip of the wheel 27 can be obtained.

When the motor 10 is started by conventional means (not shown) drive, byway of the belt 42, pulley 41, chain 43 and sprocket 44 will causerotation of the paddle wheel 27 and propulsion of the boat will takeplace.

Obviously this paddle wheel will crawl over snags, stones and otherobjects, but the main point is that the paddle wheel will not requireany more draft than the boat itself, therefore there is little chance ofthe paddle wheel striking any obstacles if the bottom of the boat doesnot first strike. There is no necessity for an underwater exhaust forthe engine, due to the outside disposition of the engine with respect tothe boat.

While the foregoing description sets forth the invention in specicterms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, sizeand materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In an apparatus of the character stated, a frame, a clamp for attachmentto the stern portion of a boat, a pivotal connection between the frameand the clamp to permit vertical movement ofthe frame, said clamp beingprovided with a depending portion, adjusting means between the lowerportion of the frame and the depend# ing portion of the clamp, a yokeprojecting forwardly from the upper portion 0f the frame, a steering armprovidedewith a depending leg, a barrel through which the leg dependsand to which the leg is affixed, said barrel being swingably mounted inthe yoke for movement in a vertical plane, a propulsion wheel mounted onthe rearward portion of the frame, power means mounted within the frame,and drive means between the power means and the propulsion wheel, theforward portion of the frame being provided with a tooth segmentalstructure between the teeth of which is engageable the depending leg ofthe steering arm.

France Apr. 4, 1951

